The question we are asked most often
Almost every enquiry about a live show workflow review begins in the same way: what do you actually do when you come to our gallery? It is a fair question, because the word review can mean anything from a quick chat to a thick report nobody reads. I am Owen Parry, and I sit in on most of these visits, so I will answer plainly.
A review is an audit of how your crew works together while a show is running. We watch the gallery, the cueing, the talkback and the handovers between people, and we write up practical improvements. We are not there to judge individuals or to sell you equipment. The aim is a set of changes your own team can start using on the next show, using the kit and the people you already have.
What we look at in the gallery
The gallery is where most small problems become visible. We look at where each person sits, what they can see and hear, and how much they have to turn, lean or shout to do their job. A vision mixer who cannot see the director's script, or a graphics operator hidden behind a monitor wall, will lose seconds on every cue.
We also note the physical routines: how the running order is displayed, who calls the shots, how cameras are named and numbered, and where spare cables and notes end up. None of this is glamorous, yet in my experience a tidy, predictable gallery removes more on-air stumbles than any new piece of equipment would.
- Seating and sightlines for each role
- Running order and script visibility
- Camera naming and shot numbering
- Monitor layout and tally visibility
Cueing and communication routines
Cueing is the heart of the review. We listen to how cues are given: the wording, the timing, the order of warning and action. Crews often drift into private shorthand that works on a good day and falls apart when a stand-in operator joins or the show runs late.
Communication covers talkback discipline as well. We check who is on which channel, whether the floor manager can reach the director without interrupting others, and what happens when something goes wrong mid-programme. Often the fix is a short agreed vocabulary and a clear rule about who speaks when. Those changes cost nothing, and they are usually the ones crews thank us for most.
How the visit itself runs
We start with a conversation before anything is observed. We ask what a normal show looks like, what has gone wrong recently and what the crew themselves would like fixed. Then we watch a rehearsal or a live programme, taking notes without interrupting, and talk to each operator briefly afterwards.
Rhys Hughes usually leads the audit, and one of the rest of us joins depending on whether your trouble is mostly camera, sound or lighting. The time on site depends on the size of the show and the number of people in the gallery, and we agree it with you in writing before we come. You do not need to prepare a presentation; a copy of a recent running order is enough.
- An opening conversation with the producer or director
- Observation of a rehearsal or live show
- Short individual chats with each operator
What you receive afterwards
After the visit we write a report in plain language. It lists what we saw, what is working well, and a short set of improvements in order of how much difference they will make for the effort involved. Each recommendation says what to change, who it affects and how to check that it has taken hold.
We deliberately keep the report short enough to be read in one sitting and shared with the whole crew. If something needs a follow-up conversation, for example a change to the talkback layout that needs a technician, we say so and explain the reasoning. We do not promise results, but crews generally find the written list easier to act on than a verbal debrief.
Questions to settle before you book
Some things are worth deciding before you get in touch. Choose which show or shows you would like us to watch, and whether the whole crew can be present. Think about the two or three problems that annoy you most; they help us focus our attention, though we will report on whatever else we notice as well.
It also helps to tell us who will act on the findings. A review works best when one person owns the improvements and the team knows the changes are coming. Pricing and how an enquiry is handled are set out on the prices page, and the contact form is the way to start the conversation. We reply in writing and confirm scope before anything is arranged.
- Which show or shows we should watch
- Who will own the changes afterwards
- Your three most frequent on-air problems
A live show workflow review is a careful look at how your crew actually works, followed by a short written list of changes they can use. It does not require new equipment or a long disruption to your schedule. If you would like to know whether it suits your studio, send us a few lines through the contact form describing your show and your crew, and we will take it from there.
